PROP 37 DEFEATED, LABEL-IT COALITION DOESN'T GIVE UP

Tricia Braid

Nov 15, 2012  |  Today's News

California voters defeated the Prop 37 GMO labeling ballot initiative last week. That’s considered good news for agriculture and food companies. However, the folks that lost the vote aren’t giving up. They’ve regrouped and reassessed and plan to be back. Their online campaigns now even call for civil-disobedience with “Label-it-Yourself” LIY campaigns. In an LIY, protesters are encouraged to put up signs and stickers in grocery stores and on products, while they remain on the shelves.

Although sound science shows that there is no nutritional difference between GMO and no-GMO foods, many consumers remain wary. Our latest research confirms that science-based arguments lose to emotional ones. So if the emotion remains regarding GMO, what’s to be done about it?

Is fighting a labeling initiative the best that the family farmers of this country have to offer? When will we start changing the dynamics of this conversation and take it to the consumer on our terms? Consumers want to know what’s in it for them. How does anything (in this case GMO) improve their health…their well-being?

Are we prepared for that dialogue? If you think the answer is no, you might check out the IL Farm Families website at www.watchusgrow.org to see some examples of changing the dialogue. If you’d like to be involved or receive training in more effective communications styles, email IL Corn’s Communications Director, Tricia Braid, at tbraid@ilcorn.org

California voters defeated the Prop 37 GMO labeling ballot initiative last week. That’s considered good news for agriculture and food companies. However, the folks that lost the vote aren’t giving up. They’ve regrouped and reassessed and plan to be back. Their online campaigns now even call for civil-disobedience with “Label-it-Yourself” LIY campaigns. In an LIY, protesters are encouraged to put up signs and stickers in grocery stores and on products, while they remain on the shelves.

Although sound science shows that there is no nutritional difference between GMO and no-GMO foods, many consumers remain wary. Our latest research confirms that science-based arguments lose to emotional ones. So if the emotion remains regarding GMO, what’s to be done about it?

Is fighting a labeling initiative the best that the family farmers of this country have to offer? When will we start changing the dynamics of this conversation and take it to the consumer on our terms? Consumers want to know what’s in it for them. How does anything (in this case GMO) improve their health…their well-being?

Are we prepared for that dialogue? If you think the answer is no, you might check out the IL Farm Families website at www.watchusgrow.org to see some examples of changing the dialogue. If you’d like to be involved or receive training in more effective communications styles, email IL Corn’s Communications Director, Tricia Braid, at tbraid@ilcorn.org